gehringer_2

I think this tells us he's still in the starting rotation.

Good 3-2 Tork, good 2 strike pitch to Baez. Still, you have to hit a good pitch once in a while.

Haase really lost. Not good when a RH batter is being fooled that badly by breaking balls from a LHP

4 IP for Olson. File this under the category of 'split start'

Tork gets BaBIP'd

but Nick is better at PBP.

Shelton of the 21st century

ball seems to be dying in the OF today.

Or are they setting up Faedo to go into the rotation and Olsen is taking over Alexander's role? We may know in an inning or two.

Olson can stay in this game all the way if he can?

what do we suppose his limit is? 70 pitches?

no perfect game

Skubal looking a little porky. He wasn't missing the training table during rehab.

if he gets medical clearance that there is no additional risk this is probably a good idea.

I wouldn't write him off yet! Keith is still playing 3b regularly. his last 4 games have been 3B, 3B, DH, 2B.

LOL - well, they don't need to make another roster move for Skubal.......

Report on T, Alexander must have been bad. MLB site has moved his status to 60d IL.... Shoulder/lat. Unfreaking believable.

Kreidler still on short term IL? Haven't seen any details but abdominal surgery would normally make someone a candidate for the 60d.

Can not see Hinch going with only 4 middle IFs for more than a series or two. Wouldn't be prudent. Whether Schoop stays or goes, there will be a 5th MIF. I suppose it's possible someone will report Vierling has started taking IF practice - but till then I'll retain my doubt he is it. Camargo the more likely replacement for the LH IF bat lost when Maton was sent out.

interesting. It sort of argues that Yzerman thinks he has a decent chance of making the team, otherwise why not buy him out now that he's cleared waivers? Of course things like picking up DeBrincat are still out there impacting Zadina's chances. I guess there could all kinds of things going on. If they still like his potential maybe they think going unclaimed through waivers might create a useful reality check for him.

and I thought baseball rules could be weird.....

less of a problem on Cabrera's off days as Carpenter can DH and that opens the OF spot. But if Cabrera keeps up his high OBP there is a lot of motivation to play him. LOL - I never dreamed that at any point in this season I would be saying that Cabrera's positive production could be creating hard choices for Hinch.

at best, Ibanez is too old to be part of any future core even he plays well. But I don't have a problem with that - any good team is going to have transitional guys making contributions in a given year who are not 'core'.

Platoons are based on left hand hitting starters that have large platoon splits . Then you can generally find cheap RH hitters that can hit LH pitching but since they can't hit RH pitching they can't hold down a starting role anywhere and thus don't cost much. If you start with a RH hitter good enought to break into a starting line-up, it's generally because they either have a small platoon split to being with, or only have a platoon split because they hit LHP pitching at some all-star rate and still hit RHP better than the average average part time LHH that might be available.. Thus little platoon motivation. Platoon splits run higher for starting LHH batters across the league for this reason - a RHH batter with a big platoon split is simply less likely to ever become an everyday player. The shift devalued LH hitting more than RHH so it's demise should re-establish the generally higher value of LH hitting starters and one result will be to increase the number of starters that benefit by being platooned so as to avoid facing LH pitching.

Always good to try to get a team to bid against itself if you can. Have to hope Yzerman won't